Methods for identifying and detecting nitroaromatic compounds, such as picric acid (PA), 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT), 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TNB), and 2,6-dinitrobenzonitrile (DNB), at trace levels are desirable for various applications, such as environmental science, public security, and forensics. Various methods exist for detecting nitroaromatics. These methods include gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, nuclear quadrupole resonance, energy dispersive X-ray diffraction, neutron activation analysis, electron capture detection, and ion mobility spectrometry (IMS).